How To Make a Dog Fly

So, after reading about the daring exploits of the World War One Flying Ace, I know you are clamoring with questions:

“Did you make that?”
“Can I get one?”
“Does he have all his shots?”

Well, I’m pretty sure you don’t have to worry about rabies from this dog, so we’ll let that last one go (and the nice men in the white coats will be along to assist you shortly).

But for the other two, the answers can be (mostly) found here!

Answer One: “Sort of.”

Answer Two: “Probably.”

Here’s how it all came to be.

I was strolling with the lovely bride through our local Walgreens, checking out the clearance possibilities in their toy aisle, when this little beauty caught my eye.

 Normally I’m not into kitsch collectibles, but I knew a Wings of War/Glory night was coming up, and this just screamed “BUY ME! CHANGE ME! HELP ME SHOOT DOWN PLANES!” The clearance sticker also screamed “$0.87”!

No self-respecting Wings of War player can pass up a potential flying Snoopy for under a buck.
And even I couldn’t resist.

Home Snoopy came (reference intended), bravely preparing for the essential surgery that would change his future forever.

I pulled out my array of miniature crafting tools, and looked at the rivet structure bolting the wheel chassis and hot-rod engine parts to the bottom of the doghouse. Of the objects at my command, well, actually none were truly suited for the job. But I began by thinking “If I drill out the center of the rivet, it might just pop off.” So I grabbed the pin vise and the largest bit for it and drilled away.

And drilled away.

And drilled away.

And noticed that my thumb hurt.

And noticed that I needed a bigger drill.

So I pulled out my massive, battery powered power drill, put in a bit that matched the size of the rivet head, locked Snoopy in a clamp (for his safety and mine), but bit to metal, pressed the trigger...and the battery died.

So I transferred the bigger bit to the pin vise (it barely fit), and drilled away.
And drilled away.

And noticed that my thumb really hurt now.

And then remembered that I had an old turn-crank hand drill from my youth (a gift from my Dad to use for building pinewood derby cars in Cub Scouts, and I still have it).

So I grabbed that, and went to town, to the grateful relief of my now blistered thumb.

After some furious crank turning (and the thought “I need a Dremel”), I *finally* could pop the chassis and engine from the doghouse, leaving an inconvenient shaft that I realized I couldn’t cut away (without a Dremel, at least).

But when held upright, the shaft was completely invisible.

Originally my plan was to glue a Wings of Glory support post underneath the doghouse. But the metal rivet shaft made that plan impossible without some method to cut it away.

So I punted, and instead found a chunk of styrofoam, cut it into a cube sized to fit the inside of the doghouse, painted the exterior with black acrylic paint, and just jammed it inside the doghouse, around the shaft. I then stuck the whole thing on my plane support post, et voilá! One  flying beagle!

And a handsome fellow he is, too!

So if you want one, search around your local toy store for their Hot Wheels selection, grab a Dremel (or at least a drill with a fully charged battery) and cut away.

I love easy conversions.

See you on the tabletop!

— Parzival, the Wargamesmonger